一品红的故事

王琴芳

eading：

一品红是美国最畅销的盆栽开花植物。红色的一品红是圣诞庆祝活动的传统组成部分，这也是几乎所有这种花都在冬季出售的原因。

Poinsettias are the best-selling potted flowering plant in the United States. Red poinsettias are a traditional part of Christmas celebrations，which is why almost all of them are sold at wintertime. It is estimated that Americans bought $250 million worth of poinsettias last year.

The poinsettia is native to Central America and needs warmth to grow. Bright red poinsettias are the best known. There are about one hundred different kinds in colors including white，pink， yellow and purple.

The flowers of the poinsettia are very small. Around the flowers are colorful leaves called bracts. These bracts add to their beauty.

The poinsettia is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett from South Carolina. In 1825 President John Quincy Adams appointed him as the United States first minister to Mexico. Poinsett had interest in plants. He saw the colorful plants growing in the wild. Wild poinsettias can grow up to four meters tall. He liked them so much that he sent some cuttings back to the United States.

The botanical name for the plant is Euphorbia pulcherrima. In Latin，that means“most beautiful euphorbia”. There are hundreds of related plants，including rubber trees.

People who are sensitive to the latex① produced by rubber trees can develop a mild skin rash② from poinsettia plants. Babies and pets that chew on poinsettias can get sick. But the plant is not as poisonous as some people think.

In the 1920s，Albert Ecke and his son Paul became interested in the poinsettias ability to flower in winter. Paul thought it would be a good plant to display at Christmastime.

They started a farm near Encinitas，California. At first，Paul Ecke，and later his son，grew large plants in fields. Then they sent them to growers by train. Growers would divide the large plants into cuttings，to raise smaller ones in greenhouses until the holidays.

The 1960s saw poinsettias booming. The Eckes started to sell cuttings from these new plants. Today Ecke Farm remains a major supplier in the United States and around the world.

Notes：

①latex n. 乳胶

②rash n. 皮疹

1. Where is the poinsettias original home place？

A. North America. B. Mexico.

C. California. D. Central America.

2. Which statement about the poinsettia is TRUE？

A. It needs strong sunshine.

B. It flowers small flowers in winter.

C. The poinsettias leaves are very small.

D. The poinsettia is a traditional part of Christmas.

3. From Paragraph 4 we can know that _____.

A. local people didnt like this kind of wild plant

B. Poinsett had interest in nothing but the poinsettia

C. the poinsettia wasnt planted as a potted plant then

D. wild poinsettias can grow up as tall as potted ones

4. Whats the correct process of developing this flower before Christmas？

a. cut the large plants into small ones

b. grew the large plants in the fields

c. send them to growers by train

d. raise them in greenhouse

A. a，b，c，d B. b，a，d，c

C. b，c，a，d D. d，a，b，c

5. How does the passage develop to introduce the poinsettia？

A. By the time. B. By the example.

C. By explaining. D. By comparing.

答案与解析

1. 答案为D。细节理解题。根据文章第二段可知答案。

2. 答案为B。细节理解题。根据第一段及倒数第三段可知答案。

3. 答案为C。细节理解题。根据第四段可知在墨西哥，当时这种花还是野花。

4. 答案为C。排序题。根据文章倒数第二段可知答案。

5. 答案为A。文章结构题。根据全文对这种花的介绍，先从发现到培育种盆花再到最后的繁荣是按照时间顺序来介绍的。

【长难句分析】

1. Red poinsettias are a traditional part of Christmas celebrations，which is why almost all of them are sold at wintertime.

分析：本句为复合句。which引导非限制性定语从句，先行词为整个主句，在定语从句中又含有一个why引导的表语从句。

句意：红色的一品红是圣诞庆祝活动的传统组成部分，这也是几乎所有这种花都在冬季出售的原因。

2. People who are sensitive to the latex produced by rubber trees can develop a mild skin rash from poinsettia plants.

分析：本句为复合句。主句为people can develop a mild skin rash from poinsettia plants。who引导定语从句，先行词为people，定语从句中过去分词短语produced by rubber trees作后置定语，修饰the latex。

句意：对橡胶树产出的乳胶过敏的人一旦接触一品红便会发生轻微的皮疹。

【语法点拨】

1. It is estimated that Americans bought $250 million worth of poinsettias last year.

句意：据估计，美国人去年总共购买了价值2.5亿美元的一品红。

分析：此句式为“It+be+过去分词+that引导主语从句”。常见的有it be said/believed/thought/agreed/known/hoped/expected/reported/estimated/suggested等。如：

It is said that Mr. Wang，our English teacher will go to Britain for further education next term.

It is generally agreed that girls have the better gift of learning languages.

It is known to all that all work and no play makes John a dull boy.

2. Around the flowers are colorful leaves called bracts.

句意：花周围五颜六色的花叶被称为苞片。

分析：此句为倒装句。当作状语或表语的介词短语前置，表示强调，谓语为单一动词或be，主语为名词，或者主语较长时，句子要全部倒装。如：

At the foot of the mountain lies a village.

Among the high-risk group of heart disease are people with a preference for fat-rich foods.

They arrived at a farm house，in front of which sat a small boy.

3. The 1960s saw poinsettiasbooming.

句意：20世纪60年代一品红开始激增。

分析：本句运用了拟人手法。用无生命的名词作主语，叫拟人。如：

The year 1949 saw the founding of the Peoples Republic of China.

Great changes have witnessed our school during the past years.

The flowers nodded to her，smiling when she passed by.

（作者单位：陕西洋县中学）（责任编校/彭益）